Images

Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K36/00—Medicinal preparations of undetermined constitution containing material from algae, lichens, fungi or plants, or derivatives thereof, e.g. traditional herbal medicines
  • A61K36/18—Magnoliophyta (angiosperms)
  • A61K36/185—Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons)
  • A61K36/28—Asteraceae or Compositae (Aster or Sunflower family), e.g. chamomile, feverfew, yarrow or echinacea
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
  • A61K31/33—Heterocyclic compounds
  • A61K31/335—Heterocyclic compounds having oxygen as the only ring hetero atom, e.g. fungichromin
  • A61K31/357—Heterocyclic compounds having oxygen as the only ring hetero atom, e.g. fungichromin having two or more oxygen atoms in the same ring, e.g. crown ethers, guanadrel
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
  • A61K31/33—Heterocyclic compounds
  • A61K31/395—Heterocyclic compounds having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. guanethidine or rifamycins
  • A61K31/41—Heterocyclic compounds having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. guanethidine or rifamycins having five-membered rings with two or more ring hetero atoms, at least one of which being nitrogen, e.g. tetrazole
  • A61K31/4164—1,3-Diazoles
  • A61K31/4172—Imidazole-alkanecarboxylic acids, e.g. histidine
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61K—PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES
  • A61K31/00—Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
  • A61K31/70—Carbohydrates; Sugars; Derivatives thereof
  • A61K31/7042—Compounds having saccharide radicals and heterocyclic rings
  • A61K31/7052—Compounds having saccharide radicals and heterocyclic rings having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. nucleosides, nucleotides
  • A61K31/706—Compounds having saccharide radicals and heterocyclic rings having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. nucleosides, nucleotides containing six-membered rings with nitrogen as a ring hetero atom
  • A61K31/7064—Compounds having saccharide radicals and heterocyclic rings having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. nucleosides, nucleotides containing six-membered rings with nitrogen as a ring hetero atom containing condensed or non-condensed pyrimidines
  • A61K31/7076—Compounds having saccharide radicals and heterocyclic rings having nitrogen as a ring hetero atom, e.g. nucleosides, nucleotides containing six-membered rings with nitrogen as a ring hetero atom containing condensed or non-condensed pyrimidines containing purines, e.g. adenosine, adenylic acid

Definitions

• the present invention relates to compositions and combinations for the protection, treatment and repair of liver tissues in humans and animals.
• the liver is an extremely important organ. As the major metabolic organ of the body, the liver plays some role in almost every biochemical process, including the deamination of amino acids and the formation of urea, the regulation of blood sugar through the formation of glycogen, the production of plasma proteins, the production and secretion of bile, phagocytosis of particulate matter from the splanchnic (intestinal) circulation, and the detoxification and elimination of both endogenous and exogenous toxins.
• liver cells The many functions of the liver depend on its intimate association with circulating blood.
• Each liver cell is exposed on at least one face to a blood sinusoid which contains oxygenated arterial blood mixed with venous blood from the splanchnic circulation. This profuse blood supply is necessary for the liver to function.
• the blood from the sinusoids supplies the hepatocytes with oxygen and nutrients.
• the hepatocytes use the nutrients both for their own metabolic needs and for the synthesis of the liver's many essential products.
• Abnormalities in the blood or vasculature can have immediate and severe effects on the liver. For example, liver cells are exposed to high concentrations of any toxic compounds that are ingested orally, such as ethyl alcohol.
• liver damage from any source may result in liver regeneration, necrosis (cell death), degeneration, inflammation, fibrosis, or mixtures of these processes, depending on the type and extent of injury and its location within the liver.
• necrosis cell death
• degeneration inflammation
• fibrosis or mixtures of these processes, depending on the type and extent of injury and its location within the liver.
• the liver has great functional reserves, but with progressive injury, disruption of liver function can have life-threatening consequences.
• Cirrhosis which is a type of end-stage liver disease, is one of the top ten causes of death in the Western world.
• liver disease Despite the significance and potential severity of liver disease, therapeutic approaches are limited. Treatment is generally symptomatic, e.g., the use of diuretics to combat tissue edema caused by low levels of plasma proteins. Many types of liver disease are the result of viruses (e.g., hepatitis A, B, C, D and E, to name a few), and effective antiviral therapies are rare and commonly cause potentially severe side effects. Other liver diseases are the result of previous toxic exposure (such as alcoholic cirrhosis and exposure to toxic plants, or environmental pollutants) which may be difficult to control. In still other cases, liver disease is the result of poorly understood interplay of various factors, including genetic factors, environmental conditions, and immune system activity (autoimmune hepatitis).
• viruses e.g., hepatitis A, B, C, D and E, to name a few
• Other liver diseases are the result of previous toxic exposure (such as alcoholic cirrhosis and exposure to toxic plants, or environmental pollutants) which may be difficult to control.
• liver disease is the
• the present invention provides compositions and combinations for the protection, treatment and repair of liver tissue in humans and animals.
• the present invention provides such compositions and combinations that also produce a low level of side effects.
• the present invention also provides a method of using the novel compositions and combinations of the present invention to protect, treat or repair liver tissue in humans or animals in need thereof.
• compositions and combinations of the invention include two or more of the following compounds: S-adenosylmethionine, L-ergothioneine and a substance selected from the group consisting of a constituent of Milk thistle, silymarin and active components of silymarin, whether naturally, synthetically, or semi-synthetically derived.
• FIG. 1 is the molecular structure of S-adenosylmethionine.
• FIG. 2 diagrams the major metabolic pathways of S-adenosylmethionine in the body.
• FIG. 3 diagrams the effects of ethanol in the hepatocyte.
• FIG. 4 is the molecular structure of L-ergothioneine.
• FIG. 5 shows the effect of ergothioneine and other compounds on lipid peroxide formation in mouse liver homogenate.
• FIG. 6 is a drawing of the herb Milk thistle ( Silybum marianun ).
• FIG. 7 is the molecular structures of silybin and other compounds from Milk thistle.
• compositions, combinations and methods for the protection, treatment and repair of liver tissue are disclosed herein.
• the invention relates to novel compositions and combinations comprising two or more compounds selected from the group consisting of S-adenosylmethionine, L-ergothioneine, and a substance selected from the group consisting of constituents of Milk thistle ( Silybum marianum ), silymarin and active components of silymarin, whether naturally, synthetically, or semi-synthetically derived, and to methods of preventing and treating liver disease and of repairing damaged liver tissue.
• SAMe S-adenosylmethionine
• SAMe plays a significant role in transmethylation processes in more than 40 anabolic or catabolic reactions involving the transfer of the methyl group of SAMe to substrates such as nucleic acids, proteins and lipids, among others.
• the release of the methyl group from SAMe is also the start of a “transsulfuration” pathway that produces all endogenous sulfur compounds.
• SAMe After donating its methyl group, SAMe is converted into S-adenosylhomocysteine, which in turn is hydrolyzed to adenosine and homocysteine.
• the amino acid cysteine may then be produced from the homocysteine.
• Cysteine may exert a reducing effect by itself or as an active part of glutathione, which is a main cell antioxidant. Id. SAMe additionally has anti-oxidant effects via its derivatives (e.g., methylthioadenosine), which prevent oxidative damage to ells. Glutathione itself is a product of SAMe via the transmethylation and transsulfation pathways.
• SAMe and its products, including glutathione, are of great importance in the prevention of liver damage.
• the changes produced by ethanol (EtOH) in the liver provide examples of injuries that can occur in the liver on the cellular level ( FIG. 3 ), and help explain the mechanism of action by which SAMe counteracts these injuries.
• EtOH absorbed in the blood stream is metabolized in the liver by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase.
• This reaction releases excess nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide (NADH) which in turn shunts substrates (carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins) in the liver away from normal catabolic processes and towards lipid biosynthesis.
• NADH nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide
• substrates carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins
• Alcohol induces the P 450 system of cytochromes, and the microsomal ethanol oxidizing system (“MEOS”) within liver cells, leading to augmented transformation of various compounds in the body (including, for example, chemicals from tobacco smoke) into toxic metabolites, and producing free radicals.
• MEOS microsomal ethanol oxidizing system
• alcohol consumption decreases glutathione pools, damage already produced by these free radicals is exacerbated.
• Alcohol and its metabolites e.g., acetaldehyde
• acetaldehyde also interact with phospholipids and therefore have direct effects on hepatocellular membranes, decreasing their fluidity and affecting the function of organelles such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum.
• acetaldehyde alters hepatocellular proteins, including the sodium/potassium pump, decreasing the ability of these proteins to function.
• the sodium/potassium pump is a membrane-bound protein that is responsible for maintaining the balance of sodium and potassium across the cell membrane of every cell in the body. Because many cell functions depend on the electrochemical gradient that results from this distribution of sodium and potassium, the sodium/potassium pump is essential to enable cells to perform. Liver cells are no exception. The alterations in proteins that alcohol and its metabolites induce also have the effect of making these proteins more ‘foreign’ and thus more likely to induce autoimmune reactions. In short, alcohol damages the liver in a myriad of ways. FIG. 3 ; Lieber, C., Biochemical factors in alcoholic liver disease , Seminars in Liver Disease, 13 (2), 1993, pp. 136-53.
• SAMe has a variety of beneficial effects in cells and protects hepatocytes from these injurious influences in a number of different ways. For example, SAMe has been shown to decrease lipid accumulation in rats chronically intoxicated with ethanol. This effect is not completely understood, but is partially explained by SAMe's ability to inhibit alcohol dehydrogenase. This single function of SAMe in itself prevents not only lipid accumulation but also much of the additional damage acetaldehyde causes to cellular membranes and proteins.
• SAMe also protects liver cells indirectly via its antioxidant products cysteine and glutathione, which help prevent damage by the excessive free radicals produced during alcohol intoxication.
• cysteine and glutathione which help prevent damage by the excessive free radicals produced during alcohol intoxication.
• Pascale R., et al. The role of SAMe in the regulation of glutathione pool and acetaldehyde production in acute ethanol intoxication , Research Communications in Substances of Abuse, Vol. 5, No. 4, 1984, pp. 321-24.
• SAMe has been used to treat various disorders. In certain forms of liver disease, SAMe acts as an anticholestatic agent. Adachi, Y., et al., The Effects of S - adenosylmethionine on Intrahepatic Cholestasis , Japan Arch. Inter. Med., 33 (6), 1986, pp. 185-92. One mechanism by which SAMe exerts this effect is via its ability to maximize membrane fluidity, which is a crucial factor in the secretion of bile acids from hepatocytes. Id. Another mechanism is via the transsulfation pathway and the production of sulfates and taurine, which are important in mobilization of bile acids.
• SAMe has also been associated with a fall in the amount of early reversible nodules and the prevention of the development of late pre-neoplastic lesions and hepatocellular carcinomas.
• Garcea, R., et al. Variations of Ornithine Decarboxylase Activity and S - adenosyl - L - methionine and 5′- methylthioadenosine Contents During the Development of Diethylnitrosamine - induced Liver Hyperplastic Nodules and Hepatocellular Carcinoma , Carcinogenesis, 8 (5), 1987, pp. 653-58.
• SAMe is avaliable in many different salt forms as would be known by a person of ordinary skill in the art, any of which, or any combination of which, would be useful in the invention.
• SAMe and its salt forms may be natural, semisynthetic, bioengineered, synthetic or extracted, any of which, or any combination of which, would be useful in the invention.
• L-ergothioneine ( FIG. 4 ) is a naturally occurring antioxidant that is very stable in the body. It is synthesized in fungi and microorganisms and present in both plants and animals. Animals are unable to synthesize L-ergothioneine and must obtain it from dietary sources. It is readily absorbed and is active in most mammalian tissues, concentrating especially in the liver, where it prevents certain types of free-radical-induced damage to cell membranes and organelles. For example, exogenous L-ergothioneine has been shown to prevent lipid peroxidation by toxic compounds in the liver tissue of rats. Akanmu, D., et al., The antioxidant action of ergothioneine , Arch.
• L-ergothioneine In study comparing the inhibition of lipid peroxide (“LPO”) formation by various compounds in mouse liver, L-ergothioneine both inhibited LPO formation and enhanced the decomposition of existing LPO ( FIG. 5 ). Id. L-ergothioneine additionally has been shown to inhibit the damaging effects caused by the oxidation of iron-containing compounds, such as hemoglobin and myoglobin.
• L-ergothioneine acts as a reducing agent of the ferryl-myoglobin molecule, it can protect tissues from reperfusion injury. Hanlon, D., Interaction of ergothioneine with metal ions and metalloenzymes , J. Med. Chem., 14 (11), 1971, pp. 1084-87.
• L-ergothioneine does not directly scavenge superoxide anion or hydrogen peroxide, it contributes to the control of these free radicals by participating in the activation of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Its protective effects on cell membranes and other organelles are of benefit in acute and chronic toxicity as well as in infectious diseases, because common pathogenic biomechanisms are active in both of these processes.
• Ergothionine in any form would be useful in the invention, including natural, semisynthetic, bioengineered, synthetic, extracted and combinations thereof and including any other active forms, such as racemic mixtures (D & L forms). Because ergothioneine is available in nature, it is expected that daily microgram amounts will be effective as an antioxidant. Other antioxidants, such as selenium, are known to be effective as antioxidants at these very low levels.
• Milk thistle ( Silybum marianum ) ( FIG. 6 ), which is also commonly known as Marian thistle, St. Mary's thistle, and Our Lady's thistle, is a native to the Mediterranean region, but has been naturalized in California and the eastern United States. This tall herb with prickly variegated leaves and milky sap has been used as a folk remedy for liver and biliary complaints for many years and recent research has supported such medicinal use. Foster, S., A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants, Houghton Mifflin Co, Boston, 1990, p. 198.
• silybin which is also called silybinin
• silychristin silydianin
• silymonin silymonin
• silybins the 3-deoxy-derivatives of silychristin and silydianin
• isosilybin which is also known as isosilybinin
• silandrin the 3-deoxy compounds silyhermin A and B
• 2,3 dehydrosilybin 2,3 dehydrosilybin
• trimers, quatramers and pentamers of silybin which collectively are referred to as silybinomers.
• silybin or silybinin
• silybin A and B or silybinin A and B
• silybinin A and B silybinin A and B
• silybin shall be used, but shall include silybinin. The structure of some of these are illustrated in: ( FIG. 7 ).
• Tyler, V. The Honest Herbal, Haworth Press, Inc., New York, 1993, pp. 209-10; Wichtl, M. (Grainger Bisset, N, trans.), Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1994, pp. 121, 124, 125.
• hepatoprotectant flavonolignans are referred to in this application as “active components of silymarin.”
• Laboratory trials in animals have shown that silymarins protect liver tissue against a variety of toxins including those of the deadly amanita mushrooms and carbon tetrachloride. Prophylactic effects were especially pronounced.
• Milk thistle is usually available as an extract that contains silymarin, but it is envisioned that any form or formulation of Milk thistle, e.g., extract, precipitate, or powdered form, which contains either silymarin or one or more active components of silymarin, would function in the present invention.
• the Milk thistle component or components may be “standardized,” i.e., formulated so that a certain percentage or amount of a specific substance or of specific substances is or are present.
• the Milk thistle component of the invention i.e. silymarin and the principal active components of silymarin, such as silybin, silydianin and silychristin
• the extract can be standardized with respect to the percentage by weight of any or all of the silymarin constituents, particularly the silybin fractions present in the extract.
• silymarin may be present in the extract in an amount from about 55% to about 85% by weight of the extract.
• silymarin may be standardized so that it is present in an amount from about 67.5% to about 72.5% by weight of the extract.
• the extract can be standardized to the amount of Silybinin A and Silybinin B, which may be present in a combined amount from about 20% to about 35% by weight, and most preferably about 28% by weight of the extract.
• Isosilybin A also known as Isosilybinin A
• Isosilybin B also known as Isosilybinin B
• HPLC high pressure liquid chromatography
• Silymarin and the active components of silymarin have several mechanisms of action, including stimulation of nucleolar polymerase A. This stimulation in turn increases ribosomal activity leading to increased synthesis of cellular proteins, and an increased rate of hepatocellular repair.
• This stimulation in turn increases ribosomal activity leading to increased synthesis of cellular proteins, and an increased rate of hepatocellular repair.
• Conti M., et al., Protective activity ofsilipide on liver damage in rodents , Japan J. Pharmacol., 60, 1992, pp. 315-21.
• Other protective mechanisms involve changes in the molecular structure of the hepatocellular membrane, which reduce binding and entry of toxins into the cell, and an antioxidant effect. Parish, R. & Doering, P., Treatment of Amanita mushroom poisoning: a review , Vet. Hum. Toxocol., 28 (4) 1986, pp.
• liver diseases involve a complex interplay of numerous factors, the exact nature of which may remain obscure to the diagnosing clinician, there is a need for a composition that will address numerous mechanisms of liver damage. Treating the causative agent may not be—and in liver disease rarely is—possible. Addressing and preventing hepatic injuries on the cellular level therefore frequently will be the best treatment possible and almost as beneficial.
• the present invention combines antiinflammatory, anti-lipid, anti-necrotic, regenerating, and anti-fibrotic effects.
• compositions of the present invention S-adenosylmethionine, L-ergothioneine and a compound selected from the group consisting of Milk thistle, silymarin and active components of silymarin, have strong anti-inflammatory effects because of their antioxidant properties. Because different antioxidants have their primary effect on different free radicals, (for example, superoxide dismutase scavenges primarily superoxide anion), and because several types of free radicals are implicated in liver damage, supplying just one antioxidant would only address one subset of liver-damaging free radicals. It would also have a direct protective effect on protecting the hepatic cells when cells are stimulated by SAMe and or Silymarin to increase protein synthesis as this action of increased cell metabolism generates free radicals which can be neutralized by ergothionine.
• Combining two of the three compounds will produce a beneficial effect in a number of liver diseases, and combining all three compounds will help treat or prevent an extremely broad range of such diseases.
• the compositions and combinations of the present invention will improve and maintain the health of liver tissue and normalize and improve the function of the liver in humans and animals.
• the combination will also allow beneficial effects to be achieved using lower doses than would otherwise be necessary.
• the use of lowered doses is both economically advantageous and reduces the risk of any potential side effects.
• the present ingredients are remarkably free of side effects, no compound is completely innocuous and giving the lowest effective dose is always sound medical policy.
• compositions and combinations of the present invention can be administered by a variety of routes including, but not limited to: orally, parentally, transdermally, sublingually, intravenously, intramuscularly, rectally and subcutaneously.
• Preferred daily doses for cach of the compounds are as follows. As would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art, these dose ranges are approximations:
• Total dose range about 5 mg—about 10 grams
• Preferred small animal dose range about 5 mg—about 1600 mg
• Preferred human dose range about 20 mg—about 5000 mg
• Preferred large animal dose range about 100 mg—about 10 grams
• the daily per kilogram dose range of SAMe for all species is: about 2 mg/kg—about 100 mg/kg
• the daily doses recited above for all compounds may be given in a single dose or divided doses, to be administered, for example, twice-a-day, three-times a day or four-times-a-day. Therefore, the range for a single dose of the components of the invention is as follows:
• the dose may be administered in various combinations in which the components may be present in a single dosage form or in more than one dosage form.
• the combinations of the present invention may be administered in a single daily dosage form in which all components are present, e.g., in a single capsule or tablet.
• the doses may also be administered in combinations of more than one dosage form in which each dosage form contains at least one component or in which two or more components are combined into a single dosage form.
• a combination of SAMe and ergothioneine may be administered as a pill, capsule or tablet of SAMe and a separate pill, tablet or capsule of ergothioneine.
• a combination of ergothioneine, SAMe and silymarin may include each component in a separate dosage form, or two of the components in one dosage form, such as combined in the same capsule and the other component in a separate dosage form, or, as explained above, all three of the components in the same (i.e., a single) dosage form.
• kits or blister packs in which more than one dosage form of the various components are provided in the same package or container, for co-administration to a human or animal.
• a tablet of SAMe and a capsule of silymarin can be placed in the same blister pack for co-administration.
• These combinations may be provided, for example, in kits, blister packs, packets or bottles shrink-wrapped together in which more than one dosage form of the various components are provided in the same dispensing unit for coadministration to a human or animal.
• a 10-year-old female spayed domestic cat is diagnosed with feline idiopathic hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver). This disease is characterized by the accumulation of triglycerides within the cytoplasm of liver cells. The cells become so swollen with lipids that they cease to function, and many die (hepatic necrosis). The cellular swelling also inhibits blood flow in hepatic sinusoids, compounding the damage with poor perfusion. Symptoms of the disease include loss of appetite, vomiting, depression and CNS signs (hepatic encephalopathy). Since the cause of this disease is unknown, it is currently treated symptomatically. Even with aggressive treatment, 40 to 50% of affected animals succumb.
• the patient in addition to symptomatic treatment (tube feeding, fluids, pharmacologic control of vomiting), the patient is given daily a mixture of 100 mg SAMe, 100 mg silymarin, and 100 mg of L-ergothionine until appetite returns.
• SAMe and silymarin support repair of damaged hepatocytes and their function, the production of enzymes and other proteins.
• the L-ergothioneine prevents reperfusion injury. The net result is that the cat recovers, and the rate of recovery is increased so that the cat spends fewer days hospitalized.
• the only method of treatment is removal of the plant from the diet. In this case, the pigs and sheep are removed from the pasture and administered daily SAMe (5 mg/kg), silymarin (40 mg/kg), and L-ergothioneine (100 mg per animal) for one to two weeks.
• the SAMe helps maintain cellular membranes and the Na/K/ATPase pump, which are the cellular organelles most likely to be damaged by the toxin.
• the silymarin stimulates synthesis of replacement proteins and the L-ergothioneine prevents reperfusion injury.
• a 58-year-old man has osteoarthritis. To control the pain in his joints, he takes large amounts of the drug acetaminophen. Like many other drugs, acetaminophen can cause hepatic damage by decreasing glutathione levels. This patient wishes to continue to take acetaminophen, because nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause unacceptable gastrointestinal irritation. In this case, the patient continues to take acetaminophen, but also takes SAMe 200 mg, and L-ergothioneine 100 mg daily as long as he continues to take acetaminophen.
• the SAMe increases hepatic glutathione levels, and the L-ergothioneine ensures maximum effect of the available glutathione via glutathione peroxidase activation.
• the net result is that liver structure and function are supported in the face of an ongoing potentially hepatotoxic exposure.

Abstract

Description

Claims (19)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Related Parent Applications (1)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=26757997

Family Applications (3)

Family Applications Before (2)

Country Status (1)

Cited By (5)

Families Citing this family (11)

Citations (16)

• 2000
  • 2000-12-08 US US09/731,719 patent/US20010000472A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2002
  • 2002-05-24 US US10/153,877 patent/US6863906B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2005
  • 2005-01-19 US US11/037,332 patent/US7563779B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (17)

Non-Patent Citations (99)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events